The Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministerial Team have taken stock of current ODPM policies and programmes. This process was aimed to ensure that policies are aligned as effectively as possible to create sustainable communities, and that the Office is successful in setting out its priorities clearly during the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. Flowing from this work are eleven clear key priorities. The goals set out describe the outcomes that I am committed to deliver, and match our strategic priorities and PSA targets.

High-level goals

—  A step on the housing ladder for new generations of homeowners; quality and choice for those who rent; ensuring mixed sustainable communities based on public and private investment.

—  High quality public services for all, shaped by individuals and communities to meet their needs, delivering value for money and visible results.

—  Communities—especially the most disadvantaged—connected to economic activity and social opportunity.

—  Towns and cities world class for their economic and social life; more power for neighbourhoods to decide things that matter to them.

—  Inclusive communities that are bound together by values of decency and mutual respect—where we help prevent anti-social behaviour, enforce rules consistently and swiftly, and build respect in all communities.

Critical projects

—  Improving regional arrangements to maximise the effectiveness of planning and investment at this level.

—  Supporting robust local government finance; securing a strategic role for local government.

—  Modernisation of the fire and rescue service.

—  Delivering the Thames Gateway programme as a cross-Government project.

Cross-government priorities

—  Managing the Office's contribution to delivering the Olympics.

—  Tackling disadvantage and social exclusion.

  In the short term, key milestones will be the Government's response to Barker and the Lyons Report.

LEADING AND MANAGING STAFF

  ODPM's job is to lead the drive for sustainable communities. To be effective, we need

—  excellent analysis and marshalling of data to present the case for sustainable communities in a compelling and jargon-free way;

—  the highest standards of inter-agency working, with other government departments, regional and local government, business, the voluntary sector and community interests;

—  patterns of working within the Office that are flexible and seamless across our different disciplines and functions;

—  an approach to leadership, management and staff development that is empowering and fulfilling, making ODPM the place people want to work in the public sector;

—  real strategic capacity to ensure we are anticipating and responding to new challenges and opportunities;

—  highly efficient business systems for finance, HR. IT and the management of assets;

—  a real nose for efficiency and value for money in all we do.

  The Office has many of the building blocks in place to secure this level of performance. The views of stakeholders and staff have recently been surveyed and provide a good evidence base for the next phase of work. I expect to be able to send these to the Committee in the next few days, but a summary of the headlines is attached. Cross-government initiatives on departmental capability, Professional Skills and Diversity will be important assets in shaping our departmental programme. I am currently working with Board colleagues in the Office to shape a coherent programme which I expect to launch in January 2006.

ASSET MANAGEMENT IN ODPM

  Annex E (p 128) to the Office's 2005 Annual Report sets out the ODPM approach to asset management. The main aim is to ensure that appropriate fixed assets are held to meet ODPM's objectives. All assets are treated in accordance with the following consistent underlying principles:

—  ensure assets are retained in the public sector only where it is effective and efficient to do so;

—  actively explore the scope for securing greater value from assets, including through innovative techniques, information technology, sharing of assets, outsourcing and public private partnerships;

—  maintain ODPM's asset base in the condition necessary to meet its objectives;

—  maintain, either directly or through bodies sponsored by ODPM, firm management of assets, including strategies for disposing of assets that are not needed for delivering services; and

—  continue to investigate incentives, such as hard charging, to achieve better utilisation of assets.

  The asset map, shows that the overwhelming majority of assets in which the Office has an interest sit either with local authorities (LAs) or registered social landlords (RSLs).

  ODPM(C) holds fixed assets (as at 31 March 2005—taken from ODPM's Resource Accounts for 2004-05) with a total net book value of only £163 million. Of this, assets in use can be broken down as follows:

—  Land and Buildings (essentially Burlington House and the QEII Conference Centre) = £28 million;

—  Information Technology (principally ODPM line of business IT systems and the planning portal (£3m) = £32 million; and

—  Plant and Machinery (of which around £3 million is in the QEII Conference Centre and the balance is Fire (Green Goddesses) and Civil Resilience (New Dimension Project) = £79 million.

  The balance (£24 million) was accounted for by payments on account and assets under construction (£20 million). Of the latter, virtually all is work on assets for the New Dimension Project.

STAKEHOLDERS

—  there has been real progress in terms of how internal and external stakeholders perceive the ODPM since 2003.

—  Half of our stakeholders (52%) believe that the way ODPM has dealt with their organisation has improved over the last two years. Benchmarking against other major departments, this compares very well (27%).

—  Four in five stakeholders (80%) now say they understand ODPM's objectives and priorities very or fairly well. This is a real improvement on the 2003 figure of 64%.

STAFF

—  First off—an excellent response rate of 72%—up from 53% for the 2003 survey.

—  Better scores that average for other Departments on a range of factors including working environment and atmosphere, valuing diversity and recognition for good work.

—  Improvements from 2003 on understanding who our stakeholders are (73%).

—  Better scores that average for other Departments on leadership at divisional manager and director level (53%) and at line manager level (76%).

—  Majority of staff feel they are encouraged to get the right skills for the job (53%), and that their performance has improved over the last year as their skills have been developed (61%).

  These are positive—but there are also areas where I am determined to see improvement:

—  On the leadership I and the rest of the ODPM Board can provide.

—  On ensuring staff know where their work contributes to the wider goals/strategic plans of the Office.

—  On ensuring stakeholders consider that we are focussed on priorities and on delivery.

  A common theme to these messages about how we can improve—for both our staff and our stakeholders—is for us to have a clear idea of our priorities and what these are designed to achieve in terms of peoples' quality of life.